Part 1: A Little Advice
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I think the best thing any aspiring cartoonist can do for him or herself is to learn the basics of drawing. In addition to reading books on the subject, it's a good idea to take a drawing class; if you're in high school or college, they are pretty easy to find. The rest of us can find art schools and adult education classes in the Yellow Pages, in the classifieds or through organizations such as the YMCA.

Even if your "type" of cartooning is non-realistic, there are huge benefits from sharpening your skills. Representational drawing seems hard to the beginner, and remains challenging to the professional, but it's important to learn as much about the basics as possible. After all, cartooning is a job, and if you have any success at all, you will one day be competing with hundreds of other cartoonists who have taken the time to develop these skills.



Part 2